


After The Battle of the Starcourt Mall

by OnlyHope39



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 13:52:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17684714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnlyHope39/pseuds/OnlyHope39
Summary: We all know there's a battle....but what happens after?





	After The Battle of the Starcourt Mall

**Author's Note:**

> Writers block sucks!! I'm back, ya'll!!
> 
> Here's my take on the end of Season 3

Mike could see the flashing lights of Brenner's  vehicles ahead, as he and Hopper chased them at high speed down the highway. Mike’s heart beating into his throat, blood pumping in his ears. All he could hear were El's previous screams, as the bad men grabbed her from the mall parking lot, and the sounds of Hopper's revolver. Much like the ear-piercing shriek of the Demogorgon, a few years back at the school, it's sounds that will forever be etched in his memory.

It all happened so quickly. Mike, El, the rest of the Party, Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, and Robin, had all just won an epic battle at the Starcourt Mall. The Mind Flayer found an open portal and sent havoc once again, upon the tiny town of Hawkins. After El draining herself by using her powers and with the others by her side, the Mind Flayer lost once more. As the Party ran outside to greet the military backup and their loved families, El went to the ambulance to be bandaged up. As she was receiving medical care, the paramedics were shot and killed. Several men then appeared, grabbing El and pulling her away. Mike and Hopper running after her, Hopper firing his revolver. But, the bad men got away.

  
Now, Mike and Hopper were speeding through town, in attempt to keep up with Brenner and his officials. Hopper was screaming through his radio, desperately calling for backup.

  
“This is Chief Jim Hopper, Hawkins Chief of Police! We need backup! They’ve kidnapped my daughter!!!”

  
Nothing but static came though the radio. Mike stared at it, feeling the warm tears flowing down his face. Hopper beat his steering wheel and accelerated the gas pedal, clocking at least 100 mph.

  
“Does anybody copy?!?” Hopper screamed in the receiver, “Those bastards have my kid!!!!”

  
Mike looked around for any signs of help, when he noticed they passed Hawkins Lab. Mike was confused. If they weren’t going back to the lab, where were they going? Hopper then noticed that the lab had passed their sight. Hopper's face then contorted into a look that Mike could only describe as realization.

  
“SHIT!” Hopper shouted. He grabbed his receiver again, yelling for backup.

Mike had no idea what to think. Hopper's reaction made Mike think that wherever they were going, it was worse than where she's been. Mike desperately thought of options, of their impending destination.

_Where are they taking her?_ Mike thought frantically.

  
“Hop!” Mike screamed, “where are we going?”

  
“HANG ON!” Hopper yelled, as he sped up to around 115 mph, creeping up behind the convoy of SUVs.

Behind them, Hopper saw a series of blue flashing lights, rolling along with his own. Then, the radio crackled.

  
“Hopper,” the radio called through, “It's Owens. We're right behind you.”

  
“Thank God!” Hopper responded, “Whose we?”

  
“Callahan and I are right behind you,” Dr. Owen’s answered, “Harrington's got Joyce, Nancy, and Jonathan in the squad car following us.”

  
“Nancy?!?” Mike shouted.

  
“Christ!” Hopper called in to the receiver, “Are the kids with you, too?”

  
“No,” Dr. Owens answered, “but they are safe at the Wheeler’s residence.”

  
Mike sighed a breath of relief. He wanted his friends to remain safe and not do anything stupid to risk losing El. He reached for the radio receiver.

“Hey!” Hopper shouted.

  
“What channel is Steve's radio?” Mike asked Hopper.

  
“Uh....Channel 8,” Hopper responded, “but make it brief! We need the line open.”

  
Mike felt uneasy, with El in danger and the rough bumps in the road, as Hopper was full speed ahead. Mike didn’t want to lose his sister either. He turned the radio to channel 8.

  
“Nancy,” he spoke in the receiver, “do you copy?”

  
Nancy reached over from the backseat and grabbed the receiver. Jonathan grasped Nancy’s hand as she responded. “Yes,” she said, “I copy.”

"Nancy, listen to me,” Mike said, “if anything happens to me, you take care of Mom, Dad, and Holly.” Hopper looked at Mike, brows furrowed and confused. Nancy's expression was the same.

  
“Mike, don’t you do anything stupid!” she shouted in the receiver, “we are going to get El back!”

  
“And if we don’t, I’m going in after her!” Mike yelled back, “I can't lose her! Not again!”

  
“What about us?” Nancy cried, “We're your family! Mom would be crushed if she lost you! I would be crushed without my brother!”

  
Mike’s lips began to tremble. He did love his family, but El was his light.

  
“I love you, Nance,” Mike said, as he changed the channel.

  
“Mike! We have a plan! Mike?!?” Nancy shouted in the receiver, but the only response was static. Nancy began to sob, as Jonathan held her in a tight embrace.

The convoy busted through a steel fence...Hop and the others followed.  The area was large, with no trees.  Small planes in hangars.... Mike looked over at the sign:   _Hawkins Municipal Airport._

_No....._ Mike's heart dropped.

  
All vehicles came to a screeching halt.  There was a small, private plane ahead...with a man standing next to it....Dr. Brenner.

Mike saw the men haul her out of the backseat of one of the SUVs. El's hands were bound together with a zip tie and she had a cloth bag over her head. Mike could hear her screams.

  
“EL!” Mike shouted, as he jumped out of Hopper's truck and ran towards her.

  
“MIKE!” El screamed back, as the soldiers led her to the awaiting plane, “HELP!!!”

  
Gunshots rang out, and Mike was dodging them all. Hopper began to take out some of the solders, as Nancy and Jonathan assisted. Steve began punching and kicking one guard, who ran towards him, while another guard jumped on his back. Steve then wrestled him to the ground, breaking the guard's arm. Mike continued forward towards El, as other soldiers lunged towards him. Mike grabbed a rifle, from one of the fallen guards, and started beating the others down, clearing a path to El. Brenner watched on, unmoved, waiting on the steps of the plane.

  
El attempted to scramble out of the soilders' grip, zip ties still binding her hands together. Mike ran towards El and reached for her, until another soldier tackled Mike to the ground. Mike fought hard, to be freed from the tackle. He rolled over and kicked the soilder in the groin. Once freed, Mike continued his approach towards El, who was being dragged towards the plane. Mike then noticed Brenner, waiting for her.

  
_No_ , he thought, _not again_.

  
With every fiber in his soul, with every drop of adrenaline in his spirit, Mike sprinted. The solders, tending to El, turned around and Mike sucker punched one of them. As the other went for his gun the solider’s neck suddenly snapped. As the body collapsed to the ground, Mike removed the cloth bag from El's head, unveiling her beautiful face, with her signature bloody nose. Mike's lips crashed into hers, and he held her tightly. Nothing else mattered in Mike's world…El was his world. El began to cry again, and Mike had to calm her down.

  
“El, look at me,” Mike said. El stared at Mike, with wet eyes.

  
“Mike, I--" El sobbed.

  
“Shhh,” Mike interrupted and El nodded.

  
“When we first met, in the woods, I was a lost boy, who went looking for his best friend. I thought I was losing my sanity, until I found you. At that moment, I became whole. You completed my existence. You are my life, my love, everything that makes up my world. I love you, Jane Hopper. My El belle, my sweetheart, my mage.”

  
Fresh tears ran down El's cheeks, as Mike continued.

  
“People will say we are too young, to know what consists of true love. But, we’ve been through enough to understand it early on. You and I are the exception to that concept. We know we are meant for each other. And we both know that we get so close to losing each other again, that we can’t take love lightly. Do you understand me, so far?”

  
El nodded. Mike took a deep breath and reached in his pocket.  He had something for her...something he had planned to give her later.  But given the circumstances, later was questionable.

  
“Those soap operas you watch, did you know the storylines come from an idea in someone’s mind? Well, even though the characters aren’t real, the concept sure is.” Mike presented the silver ring to El, who looked shocked.

  
“This is a promise ring. I was going to give it to you the night before our first day of high school, however,” Mike looked around at the wreckage and carnage, and Hopper's bewildered reaction, “this is appropriate.”

  
Mike slipped the ring on El's left ring finger, as she looked on in awe.

  
“El, we are obviously too young to get married, but you know if we could today, I would in a heartbeat. This ring symbolizes my love and dedication to you. I promise at the earliest opportunity, I will marry you. I want you in my life forever, and I promise to be by your side, for everything…good or bad. I promise to constantly be at your side, to be your lover, comfort, and protector.”

  
El began to cry again and Mike took her face in his hands.

  
“El,” Mike whispered, “will you, one day, want to be my wife?”

  
El grinned and nodded frantically, “Yes,” she whispered.

  
Mike’s smile grew to his whole face and he hugged El tightly. As both were about to share a passionate kiss, Brenner spoke up.

  
“How lovely,” Brenner mocked, “young teenage love. It's so sweet, it's sickening.”

  
Mike immediately crossed in front of Brenner, protecting El, “Stay away from her!” Mike exclaimed.  
Brenner laughed and went to push Mike aside.

Hopper immediately appeared and punched Brenner to the ground. Mike and El went to escape, until Brenner grabbed at El's leg, from his place on the ground. He pulled El down with him and drew a .22 caliber to El's temple.

  
“NO!” Mike yelled.

  
“You sick son of a--" Hopper yelled at Brenner, pointing his rifle.

  
“No one moves and she lives,” Brenner said.

  
Hopper held on to Mike's shoulder, not wanting Mike to move. He knew Mike would attack at any given moment, and Hopper didn’t want to risk it. Brenner got up, a long with El, and he continued to hold the gun at El's temple. Brenner guided El towards the plane and Mike began to step forward. Hopper grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Mike" Hopper whispered, “we will get her, I promise.”

Tears flowed down Hopper's face, as he watched his daughter get taken away.

  
Suddenly, Brenner turned around, his gun still in El. He stared directly at Mike.

  
“You made a promise to Eleven, Mike,” Brenner stated, “that you would be by her side, constantly?”

  
“Yes,” Mike said angrily, “are you going to let her go?”

  
“No,” Brenner laughed, causing Mike to get more angry. Hopper held his grip on Mike, fearing he would do something that could harm El.

  
Brenner continued to stare at Mike and the spoke up.  
“But, I could use another test subject.”

  
Mike's face softened, as he looked at El, who was shaking her head. She knew what Mike was considering. Mike’s anger turned into thought. He would be with El, but at what cost? Scientists poking and prodding at him, inserting experimental drugs into his body?

But, he would be with El, and he couldn’t lose her again.

  
He firmly detached from Hopper’s grip and walked towards Brenner. Hopper attempted to grab at him, but Brenner clicked the caliber, “Easy, chief,” Brenner reminded him. Hopper stepped back, painfully.

"....one...one condition," Mike said.

  
“Go on,” Brenner said to Mike.

  
Mike took a deep breath and looked at El, “You house her with me, in the same cell. I promise, in return, full cooperation with your program…from both of us. We just want to be together.”

  
“NO!” Nancy yelled from a distance. She attempted to run towards Mike, but Steve and Dr. Owens held her, causing her to break down in hysterics.

  
“Full cooperation,” Brenner said, “and all you ask is to stay with her?”

  
Mike nodded, “Yes.”

  
Brenner was silent, and he thought about Mike's proposal. Then, a smile crossed his face.

  
“A couple’s experiment. And you two will be of child-bearing age in a few years…”

  
“Sick basterd,” Steve murmured.

  
Mike extended his hand to Brenner, “I just want to be with El. I love her. You can inject me with whatever experimental drugs you want. All I ask is that you not separate us.”

  
Brenner stared at Mike, El still glancing fearfully at Mike. Mike had no idea what he was about to get himself involved with. El feared for Mike's wellbeing.  
Brenner shook Mike's hand. He then grabbed a zip tie from his pocket and bound Mike's hands. He then connected it to El's zip ties. As Brenner guided them to the plane, Mike laced his fingers with El's.

  
Hopper looked on, nothing he could do without jeopardizing El and Mike's wellbeing. All he could do was merely cry. Nancy was a mess, she was losing her brother. Steve and Jonathan held onto her, as she was breaking down.

  
“We'll get them back,” Steve assured her. Jonathan gave a grim look to Steve, unsure if Steve’s promise.

  
Mike and El entered the plane and were guided to a longer seat in the back. Brenner assistants buckled them in, as Brenner took his seat up front.

  
“Mike,” El whispered in tears.

  
“Shhh,” Mike attempted to calm her, “I’m not leaving you.”

  
“But Mike,” El tearfully pleaded.

  
“El, I promised you I would be by your side. I’m never losing you again.”

  
El tested her head on Mike's shoulder, as the plane engine roared at takeoff. Mike looked out the window, only to see their loved ones shrink smaller and smaller, as they were climbing altitude. Mike just realized what he had done. He was about to be a test subject, facing similar experiments that El went through at Hawkins Lab. Mike felt a dry lump in his throat, for his life was about to change. No more school, no more AV club, no more D&D, Star Wars, Eggos, and bike rides. No more Party, no more of Nancy's complaining or Holly's laughter. No more of his mother's cooking, or his father snoring in the recliner.

  
No more outside world. From this point forward, his life was protecting El…in a sterilized setting.

  
“I love you,” Mike whispered.

  
“I love you, too", El whispered back.

  
After a few moments of silence, Mike looked out the window again. “I wonder where we are going,” he said.

  
El sighed heavily. She knew exactly where they were heading.

  
“Hell,” she whispered tearfully. 


End file.
